Hey guys I wanted to share that I also have a weird case of rosacea. I can't find anyone else that has a similar face like mine so I'm really baffled into what I should do. Basically I have a pinkish hue on my inner cheek near the eyes and my nose. My forehead is clear but a small section of my chin is not.

When i look in the mirror really close it looks like theres tiny little popped blood vessels on the front of my nose, you cant see them unless your up really close but theres also tons of white regular skin tone white spots with blackheads, thats why im so baffled. Also the ball of my nose is completely clear with no popped blood vessels or redness. I don't have any popped blood vessels on my inner cheek though its just red again with splotchy areas of my regular skin tone as well as my chin.

I believe that it is rosacea but it seems like a mild form of it or something. I went to a derm last year and she couldn't tell if I had it or not. My acne is pretty light so Im not too worried about that but when I drink my nose and inner cheek/chin get mega red.

Any thoughts on what might be good to use? Ive been reading a lot in the nutrition section thinking about this one persons regimen in which he uses an anti parasite and anti yeast/fungal cleanse for 2 months along with b-50 complex vitamins and a healthy diet

Thanks for taking the time to read. Ill try to get a picture up when i go home for the summer and I start that regimen

The impaired barrier function: this is what I was talking about when 1) I mentioned the benefit of applying petroleum jelly - it acts as a barrier to outside allergens, and 2) I mentioned looking for a moisturizer that contains ceramides which aid in repairing the skin's lipid barrier.

Also I think that this article brings up a good point about steriods and how they maybe causing your rash to come back.

Finally, regarding the harshness of Cetaphil and Purpose - this is due to the ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Google it and you will see it an inexpensive ingredient used in home and personal care products that is very harsh on both the skin and hair.

I think my eczema might involve a little bit of rosacea because it still gets red after showering with lukewarm water and I noticed it turning red when I apply the Epiceram as well...I think I'm going to try applying a non-steroid cream called Atopiclair to see if that combo will speed up the healing process..and I still have these odd rashes appearing on other parts of my face...could be some allergic reaction...I'm def. going to stop using Cetaphil and go with something organic or one of your recommendations.

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

Hey again everyone; I wanted to come back and thank MrsZ for all her help. I'm starting my accutane course in a week so hopefully things will be okay. I was taking Solodyn 40 mgs but I stopped after a week of use, I hope that wasn't a mistake. I might start taking it again now and double my dosage to 80mgs before I start my course next week. I'm not sure, but anyway, again I want to really thank MrsZ for taking the time out to come here and being so generous with her time and sharing her experience with all of us.

Oh- also I'm not sure what products I'll be using during my course just yet but most likely Cerave as that does have the ceramides. As far as cleanser, I have no idea at this point. SLS seems to be a no-no w/ steroid induced rocasea so does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Can eczema make the skin seem atrophied in regards to it not being able to withstand washing with water? I've been using a special moisturizer for two months and it doesn't seem to really get better..If I am not careful, it will flare up...

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

Directed to Mrs. Z, or LionQueen, or anybody with experience dealing with atrophied skin:

I went to a derm today and he said that differin is good for treating inflammation and has anti-microbial properties..he said what I have is not eczema...but he also in a smug way, he has never heard of steroid-induced rosacea!? So i asked him what I have and he didn't give me a straight answer other than he thinks its something to do with my skin being so messed up; atrophied from being on past creams...he wants me to start using a medication that contains differin and bp! I asked him whether or not that would irritate my skin, but he seems to think it will do the opposite.

I think this is a curious suggestion..anybody else been given such advice?

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

I think you should listen to him,My sister had steriod induced rosacea and got off doxy and recently i was at her place and looked at her products and shes usuing differin now and its almost empty and her skin looks great.

I have a tube of it under my counter,I think i got it last summer but tried it once and stopped because it was summer and i didnt want a sensitive to sunlight product but if you apply a sensitive to sun product at night and wash it off in the morning,is your skin still sensitive in the day?

The topical the derm prescribed for me is called Epiduo, which is a new gel containing Differin and 2%bp. It's supposed to be not so harsh on the skin...The reason why he chose this topical is because I mild acne in the form little bumps underneath the skin that sometimes gets inflamed and becomes semi-large papsules; which take forever to go away...

He said the Differin aspect of it helps with inflammation and has anti-microbial properties, which is great, but don't retinoids thin the skin? And if I have steroid-induced Rocasea then that means my skin is already too thin right? Wouldn't that be the opposite effect of what I'm trying to improve on?

And I'm afraid that the bp will irritate my skin more than it is...but for some reason he thinks it is OK...So I'm confused as to what I should do...

Can you ask your sister what kind of effects the Differin gel had on her skin -- did it further thin out her skin? And did things get worse before getting better?

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

Hate&Love: Cerave makes a cleanser that has ceramides in it and is excellent to use while on Accutane. I used it when I was on Accutane. I wish you all the best, just know that the road to recovery via Accutane can be a long and bumpy one - but the end should be worth it.

ComplexIssues - let me be frank with you...

YOU ARE YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY

I am sure that your skin problems are real and traumatic for you. But, I agree with halfpipe without posting a picture of your skin we cannot give you proper advice. Going from doctor to doctor and then dismissing their advice will get you know where. I think it is curious that these doctors never diagnose you with anything. Nor do they prescribe you anything more than steriods or antibiotics which are sort of all purpose skin fixers. There are a ton of products out there that will address inflammation, acne, rosacea and/or eczema but you have never mention a doctor prescribing or recommending them. Either you are not listening to these doctors or there really isn't anything seriously wrong with your skin outside of mild acne and inflammation. I suggest you read the following book:

I am sure that your skin problems are real and traumatic for you. But, I agree with halfpipe without posting a picture of your skin we cannot give you proper advice. Going from doctor to doctor and then dismissing their advice will get you know where. I think it is curious that these doctors never diagnose you with anything. Nor do they prescribe you anything more than steriods or antibiotics which are sort of all purpose skin fixers. There are a ton of products out there that will address inflammation, acne, rosacea and/or eczema but you have never mention a doctor prescribing or recommending them. Either you are not listening to these doctors or there really isn't anything seriously wrong with your skin outside of mild acne and inflammation. I suggest you read the following book:

This doctor also has a message board and is the spokeswoman for Financea, which I agree with halfpipe again - is a product you should investigate.

I am sorry to be so harsh and critical. But, I really don't want to continue to give you advice unless you post a picture.

Mrs. Z,

I'm surprised and saddened at your response.

The statement about me dismissing all of their advice is absolute nonsense, and hastily concluded.

The truth is, I DID follow the prescriptions and advice of my derms, 99% of the time:

Anyway, to make a long story short, I finally got a diagnosis that what I have IS NOT eczema. It was agreed upon that the skin looked dry/thinned out and has bumps that could be a result of addiction, But this derm claimed smugly, he has never heard of the condition known as "steroid-induced rosecea". It's great he told me to stop putting on any more moisturizing cerams because I need to let my skin chill out. But interestingly he gave me the prescription of using epiduo; which seemed odd. So I asked him. He just said Differin has anti-inflammatory properties and that the bp would prevent future acne; he was a bit spartan in interaction, so I didn't get to any ask questions about it further thinning out my skin...

The point is, due to my diligence and intuition that this is not merely eczema, have I arrived at a place where I can say, progress is being made. And hence I asked halfpipe about the seemingly unintuitive nature of applying a product that's supposed to thin out the upper skin layer, when I already have thinned out skin. Is it so wrong, to ask around before applying a topical retinoid/bp that can make one's skin very irritated; your personal experiences with retinoids, suggests I'm not so overly cautious in my investigation.

p.s. I don't believe I ever relayed any information saying that derms have never diagnosed me with anything; after our correspondence I am utterly confused as to how you can arrive at this conclusion.

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

2.) About a month later, I was given Atopiclair, a non-steroid creamto help augment the treatment after it was shown that the ceram hada relatively mild effect.

Note: I found that applying both Epiceram or Atopiclair, would turn theafflicted area red, especially the latter, so since I have to go to work, I endedup applying Atopiclair only at night. By the morning, the redness would usuallyhave subsided to a degree; a brownish hue remained.

So it's been about 3 months since I've been on this treatment and it's neverimproved beyond 25% at best, while fluctuating back and forth.

I have no doubt my condition has many eczema characteristics, such asthe skin feeling, rough, dry, discoloration, and affected by moisture; washing the face.But at the same time, I felt the skin was also atrophied because it looked thinner,shriveled -- this seemed to affect its ability to retain moisture...In my skin historyI've had trouble with SD, but never with general eczema..I even tried applyingan anti-fungus cream which normally works very well with SD related rashes,but didn't seem to work, in fact it would make the area more red. Note that anythingI apply to that afflicted area would make it more red, another sign that this is notyour usual "eczema" condition.

Finally, after the post I wrote above regarding a new diagnosis, the last two daysI have not applied any cream on my skin after washing with only water, in anexperiment to see how the skin will respond. So far, the afflicted area experiencedperiodical tingling and some flakiness, BUT it's held up alright; at first afterwashing, the skin felt dry and rough, but by the morning, it was smoother and thetexture felt OK. I will continue with this regimen for as long as there is some improvement. There is still reddish/brown coloring of the skin, but hopefully that is temporary.

Anyway, so I still don't know why the derm prescribed epiduo given its effects. Does a retinoid really help with atrophied skin?

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

Sorry I am late to post. But, I wanted to chime in. Some of you (Wynne) have already heard my story but I think it's worth repeating especially since it sounds similar to what people have experienced with mometasone furoate. If ANYONE reading this can be spared the pain I've endured the last few months, it would be well worth it.

I've been on a BP regime similar to Dan's for about 20+ years. It has kept my face relatively clear during that time. Oh sure, I've tried Accutane (twice) and other "miracle" drugs, but always found myself going back to the BP.

Anyway, back in Feb I developed a rash between my eyes and went to the dermy. He diagnosed it as seborrheic dermatitis and prescribed mometasone furoate. He told me to apply just a little. What he didn't tell me was how long to apply it. Anyway, I used it for a week, and while the rash went away, it was replaced with a breakout. I went to another dermatologist who then prescribed desonide, which I found out was a lower dosage steroid. Did that for 2 weeks.

To make this already long story shorter, I went through steroid induced acne withdrawal hell for the past couple of months. At one point, it looked like I had smallpox. This happening after 20 plus years of relatively cleat skin. What is most upsetting is that these are supposedly professionals and ironically, I paid them to do this to me!

In any event, currently to treat the occasional seborrheic dermatitis, which is what some people here appear to have, I wash the area with believe it or not, Head and Shoulders for seborrheic dermatitis. It's the dark blue bottle. Apply it and leave on for about 3 - 5 mins, do it for about 2 weeks and then once a week afterwards to keep it in check.

As for the steroid induced acne, it has been reduced to a lot of dark brown spots with a few icepick scars. No more acne (thank god) back on the BP regime and a weekly glycolic peel to speed up the reduction of hyperpigmentation.

Every other day:- Shampoo/cleanse face with Ketoconazole shampoo, 2% - followed by Neutrogena Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.Supplements:- Multi Vitamin 1-2 times daily.- Up to 6 capsules of Flaxseed Oil/Fish Oil daily.- Probiotic capsules, usually once a day.

MrsZ, my derm has given me 40 mgs and wants to up me to 60mgs next month, he seems to really want to attack this aggressively, it appears as though the low dose course is totally out the window. I'm a little scared this approach will make things worse and cause flushing and additional redness, more so with the 60 mgs. I weight 105 lbs, what do you think of this dosage considering the condition of my skin and my weight? I'm a little nervous about it but for now I'm just trying to keep the faith. Thanks.

MrsZ, my derm has given me 40 mgs and wants to up me to 60mgs next month, he seems to really want to attack this aggressively, it appears as though the low dose course is totally out the window. I'm a little scared this approach will make things worse and cause flushing and additional redness, more so with the 60 mgs. I weight 105 lbs, what do you think of this dosage considering the condition of my skin and my weight? I'm a little nervous about it but for now I'm just trying to keep the faith. Thanks.

60mg - 80mg is typical for acne and 10mg - 20mg is typical for rosacea. You have both. The acne is probably the bigger problem for you and the rosacea, being steriod induced will most go away. My acne, albeit mostly steriod induced was really bad too - I ended up on 120mg.

I asked my dermatologist about appropirate dosages for rosacea when I was on Accutane and she told me that dosage is based upon what the particular patient needs not strictly a condition. You need to get the acne and steriod induced problems cleared up first. Please don't worry about the potential for flushing and blushing as experienced by a very small minority on this forum. You can deal with that IF and when it comes.

If anyone on this forum or anywhere else tells you that 60mg is too high for rosacea - ask them if they have steriod indcued rosacea and acne - and if they don't tell them they don't have the experience to make such a judgement.